As you all know full well I have had a lot of incapacitating doubt with
my photography work and the direction I’d like to see myself go in with my
journey in aspiring to be a photographer. I’ve mentioned over and over how I
will only be photographing for me and
not really caring what others think about what I produce, and that fact still
stands firm. I’m throwing my qualms I’ve had about anything and everything to
the wind and turning my back to it. I have been thinking a lot lately about my
career as a photographer and where I'd like to be some day with my work, and
I'm still working that out to be honest. I've got many ideas and high hopes for
what it is I want to do, but right now they are all just that - ideas.
Yesterday morning, I was thinking to myself how happy I am right now
with where I am heading in life. I am finally doing photos that I am proud of,
something that I haven't had happen in a very long time. Although that fact was
true, I still find myself thinking how down I get when I am in between gigs of
photo shoots. I am sure it is quite a depressing sight to behold me basically
moping around town just kind of idling between works. I have felt I have kind
of fell flat with my work the last couple of times I have done a photo shoot,
and let me first say that this is in no way the fault of my models - I
appreciate you all who have worked with me lately to a point I can't even begin
to thank you. The fault is completely my own for letting me fall into a routine
of the same old photographs time and time again. I have not seen any really
good progression for quite some time with my work, and it is still frustrating
me. That is where I hope that this project idea I have thought of will get me
back on my feet again and loving the work that I produce.
A lot of photographers, especially on flickr.com, are doing a
photography project called the "365 day project" where aspiring
photographers do a self portrait of themselves every day for a year. I have
considered that, even tried it a few times and eventually I just lose steam. I
don't enjoy the idea of having to think of a new concept for a photograph EVERY
single day, for one year. I'm afraid a project like that will make me lose the
love I have for photography, and I'll be damned if I will let that happen.
That is where my twist on this "365 Day Project" comes in, and
I'll admit it’s probably been done before. My idea is this: I will be
documenting something in photographic form, whether it is of me, of a model, or
just something to have to remember from that day for a year. That is it. I am going
to impose no official “rules” to this project such as only self portraits or
edited a certain way, although I have thought about the idea of only using one
camera lens for this project, but I’m still up in the air about it. There is
going to be particular “editing style” that I will try to keep consistent with
this project. For some of the photos I will probably have an idea of how to
“improve” my art or do something different (I have yet to use my camera in full
Manual Mode, so that will definitely be something I’m going to work on being
comfortable with), but other than that there are going to be no rules on having
to be conceptual or surreal or anything like that. I just want to get out and
put my creative juices to work.
Sooo, that is that - Here’s hoping that I will not lose steam on this
like I have with so many other projects in the past. My plan right now is to
begin this project on July 8th as I will be out of town this week
for my brother’s wedding down in Red Wing, Minnesota. Keep an eye out – I’ll be
posting the images + a daily write up here on the blog & also my facebook fan page.
Have a safe & enjoyable 4th of July everyone!
